Church To Pay at the Pump for Strangers

In an attempt to become truly “full-service,” one Southwest Ohio church hopes to fill people with the Spirit by helping them fill their gas tanks during a period of skyrocketing gas prices.

The Dayton Daily News reported that Xenia Christian Center in Xenia, Ohio, will have members on-hand from 2-4 p.m. Saturday afternoon at a local United Dairy Farmers gas station to pay $.25 on every gallon of gas that someone purchases.

Pastor Wesley Miller said that the high gas prices are straining hard-working people in a struggling economy. He added that the church hopes to use this gas goodwill service to spread information about its upcoming Holy Week services.

Though some people will show up at the gas station merely out of greed, Miller said, "There's always that chance people will abuse it, but it's worth it. Truthfully, the people who are kind of greedy, we want to reach them, too." The average price of gas in the church’s area is $3.45 for a gallon of regular unleaded.

The Xenia Police Department said it is prepared to patrol the area and direct traffic if lines into the United Dairy Farmers gas station get too long.